Sports shops, health shops and retailers of all kinds have now removed Power Balance wrist bands from shelves and counters all over Australia.

How did it happen? Who’s behind it? Can we do the same to (insert your favourite pseudo science product here)?

What follows is a potted history of the end of the Power Balance fad. (If you disagree or have more to add please make a comment below.)

How did it all start?

2007 (USA)

Two young entrepreneurial brothers, in Orange County California, Troy Rodarmel and Josh Rodarmel started the company in early 2007.

The business model is quite straight forward: design colourful, stylish wrist bands that can be manufactured very cheaply in China and sell them locally at a much higher price. Market the bands by making health and technology claims and Read the rest of this entry »

The promoters of Power Balance wrist bands are in trouble again. This time the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has ruled against them.

In part the decision says:

In reaching this conclusion, the Panel noted that the claims made in the advertisements were extraordinary to such a degree that no reasonable retailer could publish them on the basis of assurances from the product sponsor, without requesting evidence that such claims could lawfully be made about the product.

The TGA are asking for the: Withdrawal of representations, Withdrawal of advertisement and the Publication of a retraction.

To re-cap; Power Balance wrist bands are coloured silicone rings with two small plastic holograms glued on. The popular silicone bands sell for about $60 (Aus). A pendant version of the Power Balance sells for about $90 (Aus). The promoters of Power Balance claim Read the rest of this entry »

Consumer advocacy magazine Choice are running their fifth annual, 2010 Shonky Awards. It’s a kind of name and shame exercise. It’s with great pleasure I announce that one of the Australian Skeptics’ and Victorian Skeptics’ favorite products has gained a Shonky – the Power Balance band.

Congratulations to Power Balance on wining this prestigious award (with tongue firmly in cheek).

As any Skeptic will tell you, the $2 Placebo Band works just as well as the $60 Power Balance band. They look very similar and are made from identical materials.

The Australian Skeptics and Placebo Band got a nice mention at the award ceremony, many thanks to Choice for their efforts.

You’ve probably heard of it. It was ubiquitous in this year’s AFL season and made headlines around the world when the likes of Shaquille O’Neal started wearing them.

So what does it do? Interestingly, its makers are careful to avoid claiming that it does anything at all.

The “What Is Power Balance?” section of their website still says “Coming Soon”. And has done so for months.

But never mind that. Elsewhere the site is positively jam-packed with testimonials about the band’s ability to improve your balance, increase your flexibility, enhance your endurance levels and, of course, help you win basketball games. Thanks Shaq.

Now, the skeptical among us suspect there’s nothing more to it than a simple placebo effect.

After all, there’s a complete lack of scientific evidence supporting the band’s effects, not to mention the implausible idea that having a hologram strapped to your arm makes you run faster.

The second dubious practice is the use of physical tests that aren’t objective. The method of pressing down on someone’s arm to test muscle strength can easily be manipulated (either deliberately or mistakenly) by the person doing the pressing. This methodology has been around for quite some time and is known as “Applied Kinesiology”. This is rather difficult to describe in writing. Fortunately Richard Saunders has put together an excellent video that shows you everything you need to know.

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